


Geoff's Puppets

by orphan_account



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, Puppet AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-29
Updated: 2014-10-02
Packaged: 2018-02-19 05:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2377055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Geoff has been making puppets for most of his life, and he holds five special ones on a high pedestal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was once a puppet maker named Geoffrey. He was in the middle stage of life, a twirled moustache upon his upper lip giving this illusion. He had the light shadow of stubble across his chin and cheeks, not quite as dark or brown as his hair, which was always groomed neatly. His light blue eyes wore no spectacles. Geoff always took an interest in wooden toys as a young boy, and decided to take up the art of making wooden puppets. String covered the ceiling of his workshop, some attached to small wooden arms, and some hanging free. Geoff didn’t mind that it dangled in front of his face; or that sometimes they gave off little fibres that didn’t come out of his hair. Geoff usually smelt like woodchips and iron, and the wood calloused his fingers from the contact. Paint covered more than half of the clothes he owned but none like his apron. It was an explosion of dulcet browns, vibrant reds and ocean blues.

Among the hundreds of puppets that dotted Geoff’s workshop, he had a shelf that held five special ones. He dedicated most of his time to making sure these ones were perfect, nothing broken, and no paint chipping. He had names for them, too; Jack, Ryan, Michael, Gavin and Ray. He liked to imagine Jack and Ryan were the oldest, as he created them first. They sat at the far left side of the shelf. Michael, Gavin and Ray were the youngest. They were reckless and funny, their quirky personalities never ceased to make Geoff laugh. People could call him insane, but he was sure the puppets talked to him sometimes.

Jack was Geoff’s favourite. He was smart and logical, and had advice for situations. He had an orange beard, with matching hair. He wore glasses upon his face, and a smile etched into the wood. It never fell, keeping his blue eyes sparkling. Jack wore a green shirt and blue jeans, painted with stunning detail. Jack’s head sat on broad shoulders, tipping to one side with animated curiosity. Some mornings, Geoff would find that Jack moved positions overnight. Geoff put him back with a fond smile, patting the puppet’s head with affection. Ryan was a strange one. He tended to shift more than Jack. He wore a grey shirt with blue jeans. The shirt had painted folds that made the shirt look comfortable and almost silky. His blonde hair looked almost real. Ryan’s eyes had a glint of mischief, and his smile fell crookedly. Ryan was sadistic, but hilarious. Mystery made him reserved at times, but cared for Geoff and the other puppets with a whole heart of love. Ryan was comfortable to do nothing, able to keep himself entertained.

Keep in mind here; Geoff could hear the puppets whisper to him in the early hours of the morning. Geoff could swear they moved, but it could be his mind’s illusions. Perhaps he moved them himself, but forgot about it by the morning. In the eyes of the wrong people, Geoff was classed as insane. But if you understand what he thinks, you’ll get it soon enough. He puts so much care into creating the personalities of his puppets, and their expressions could tell you their pasts in a glance.

Moving onto the younger three puppets, Geoff thinks Gavin is like his son. He cares for the wooden man like a fragile jewel, the cheeky puppet’s face so familiar. Gavin could be silly at times, no intelligence located in his mind. But he was smart, really. Smugness made Gavin’s smile lopsided, and his nose almost overlapped it. Gavin’s nose made Geoff laugh some days, the puppet’s quirk getting to him. His eyes were bright green, and shone with a happy sparkle. It never seemed to fade; only getting lighter with each day. They suited his light brown hair, the paint giving an illusion of softness. The puppet had dark jeans on with a purple shirt, a bright and cheery colour to match his personality. Gavin said thinks before thinking them through, which made Michael snort with exasperation. Talking about Michael, he was a very temperamental soul. He got worked up about simple little things, especially Gavin. Deep down, Michael cared for everything. Like Ryan, he had a lot of love to invest, and he did so in the right ways. Michael liked to talk to Gavin, and Geoff could hear their laughs echo around the workshop when it was quiet and Geoff put the tools away. Michael had auburn curls, and brown eyes. Frustration turned his eyebrows down into a frown that lifted when Gavin spoke. Humour curled his lips into a slight smile, and laughter coloured his cheeks with a pink blush. Michael was the cutest of the puppets, and Geoff knew that.

Last, but not least, was Ray. Ray wore a purple hoodie and jeans. His hair was pitch black and he wore glasses like Jack and Michael. Ray’s eyes were a chocolate brown, and gleamed with silent humour. Ray was quiet, but his mind whirred with intelligence and logic. Ray thought things through, making him one with the silent type. Ray was funny, and his humour was vulgar sometimes. Some of the things Ray said surprised Geoff, yet it still managed to make everyone laugh. The others respected Ray, as he was supportive and a listener. Apart from this, nothing else can really be said about Ray. He loves everyone deeply, and doesn’t speak up with negativity. Unless he’s aiming to tease the other four puppets, of course.

Geoff and his wooden friends couldn’t be separated. Geoff loved the puppets and his workshop more than life, spending all his time there. Geoff wished that one day they would wake from their materialised sleep and become his best friends. Perhaps he could share all he knew with them. But for now, Geoff would wait until one of the shooting stars would work their magic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to the feedback I got, this is just an extra chapter about the puppets coming to life.

As the days grew colder and rolled by, Geoff never grew tired of brushing the dust off his workshop. Geoff’s eyes still had the same shine they did four years ago, maybe even eight. But Geoff was still young, and he wouldn’t lose that glint of happiness. Geoff sat by the window most nights, and he spent the nights he didn’t with the puppets. Geoff’s bedroom window had a couch sitting in front of it, in which he tucked his feet underneath him and let his eyes wander. Millions of stars like a blanket over the earth made him feel secure. He watched for the quick movement of a falling meteor, watching for the spark trail. Whenever he did see one, he’d wish for his puppets to come to life. And then he would go to bed.

One fateful night in mid-January, Geoff heard a crash issue from his workshop. Perhaps one of the puppets had fallen. No matter, he’d fix it in the morning. But with a strike of alarm, he realised it could be one of the five puppets he cherished most. He jumped up and unlocked the shed, eyes flicking around. When the light turned on, he turned his wide-eyed gaze to the shelf. One, two, three, four… who was missing?

Jack was the first to come alive. When Geoff discovered a man lying on the floor of his workshop, he frowned. But mere seconds passed before he recognized the orange hair and the glasses on the floor beside him. Green shirt, blue jeans… Jack. Geoff took timid steps toward him, feet making an almost silent tap. Jack’s eyes blinked open, the stunning blue looking so confused and sleepy. Geoff offered a small smile, shocked into silence.

“Geoff?” Jack muttered. His voice was deep and sweet, just like he sounded in Geoff’s head. “It’s really you?”

“Yes, Jack,” he replied. The once-puppet smiled with excitement.

“I’m alive!” He almost yelped. Jack embraced Geoff with a long awaited hug.

Geoff promptly took to caring for Jack, cooking him the best meal he could manage. Jack indulged in a warm shower and emerged smelling like shampoo and soap. Geoff smiled and watched in awe, completely confused but more than happy. Jack informed Geoff that he self-aware from the day that Geoff painted his last details. Jack explained that the other puppets were like that too, and they all had their own personalities. The puppets would stay up until the early hours of the morning talking. Geoff listened with wide eyes and mouth open, intently soaking up details.

Ryan was the second. Jack had heard a thump in the night, and eagerly awoke Geoff who was sleeping peacefully beside him. Geoff had opened his eyes nearly immediately. The two of them made their way quickly, if not too quickly as they’d been awake for all of two minutes, to the studio.

“Ryan!” Jack called cheerfully. Ryan looked around with the same befuddlement that Jack had, before spotting them. Ryan jumped up and embraced Jack, running his fingers over skin and bone. His eyes met Geoff’s and softened with affection. He broke the contact with Jack and made the timid steps toward his creator. Ryan looked almost shy as he neared Geoff. The latter made the first move, reaching out to hold him.

It was a sight to melt hearts, the three of them standing in an all-limb hug. The bed was nearly too small for the three men, Geoff realised, Jack and himself had enough trouble as it was. Ryan seemed content to share the limited space with them, and exchanged a smile. At dinner, Geoff was the happiest he’d been in a long time. It’s not like he wasn’t happy before; but love overwhelmed him.

They sat together, legs in a tangle, hands melded together. Geoff sat in the middle of Jack and Ryan, and felt the pepper of kisses on his neck and his face from Jack. Ryan just sat quietly, absorbing the comfort Geoff brought him. They dozed off earlier than they expected to, and woke up with cramps in their necks, and legs stiff. But Geoff couldn’t have found it anything negative. Geoff liked waking up and being able to devote his time to the men who he found himself falling for. They didn’t have any interruption for three days, before a squawk issued from the workshop.

Gavin was the third. Ryan got up early to hear a (bird being born) yelp at promptly six in the morning. He hurried over the lawn and unlocked the door, with Geoff’s words ringing in his head.

‘Hear a noise, go straight in. It could be one of them awakening.’

Gavin was sitting in front of the shelf, hair dishevelled, eyes open and clothes rumpled. He looked quite annoyed. When his green eyes met Ryan’s blue ones, that annoyance changed to glee.

“Ryan!” He almost screeched, getting up in a time that could challenge an Olympian. He barelled into the half-asleep man.

“Oh god, Gavin, hello,” Ryan complained. He pried Gavin off him, holding the struggling calamity at arm’s length. Gavin thrashed for a few more moments. Those moments felt like eternities for someone who’d only just come into consciousness, mind you. But he collapsed almost tiredly into Ryan’s arms. He muttered things like ‘Ry’ and ‘I’m real’.

“Geoff and Jack are inside, wanna come?” Ryan said softly after holding Gavin tightly. At Geoff’s name, he perked up again and rattled around. He stepped on Ryan’s heels, tripped over his own feet and barely managed to make it inside the house in one piece. Geoff and Jack were fast asleep, curled around each other like kittens. Ryan smiled fondly, filled with the fuzziness only love brought. Gavin tugged at Ryan’s sleeve.

“I’m hungry.”

“Of course,” Ryan smirked. He sat Gavin down at the table in the small kitchen, opening the blinds to the salmon sunrise. He fixed his companion an omelette, Gavin tucking in with no second thought. He was glad to see Gavin in person, and not immobile like usual.

“So,” Gavin said, his mouthful of egg now reduced to half a mouthful, due to the rest of it now residing across the tablecloth. He swallowed. “Jack and Geoff aren’t getting up for a while?”

“I like to let them sleep.”

“That’s cute,” Gavin teased. Ryan sighed. “You know, you three are honestly made for each other.”

“Gavin, I don’t need your high school relationship opinion. They treat me well, and I intend to reciprocate the love they give me in the same quantity.”

“Big words,” Gavin whispered. Jack’s weary gaze appeared from the doorway.

“Sorry, Jack,” Ryan apologized, feeling guilty. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Are you kidding!?” Geoff almost knocked the fork out of Gavin’s hand as he hugged the youngest man. Jack wrapped his arms around Ryan; nuzzling his face into the latter’s shoulder. Gavin was squealing with happiness, poking Geoff in the face and toying with his moustache. Jack and Ryan smiled.

Gavin slept on the couch. As much as Geoff loved him, he couldn’t afford to risk his kidneys. Gavin moved a lot in his sleep, and he didn’t want to lose one of his vital organs to Gavin’s knees.

“But Geoff…” Gavin had complained. The three others laughed at the tone of his voice, engulfing him in a group hug to make up for it.

On a cold Tuesday morning, Geoff discovered the couch devoid of the Brit. He closed one eye and scratched his chin. He made a sudden decision to check the keys, which would give him the answer he was looking for. Gavin was in the workshop. Hopefully he hadn’t seriously injured himself by falling over.

Geoff made a beeline to the studio, breath frosting in the air. Gavin sat on the floor, cradling Michael in puppet form in his arms. Geoff stopped, and smiled. A lump rose in his throat. He looked so sad, holding the wooden lad. He looked up to see Geoff, and blinked awkwardly. Geoff cleared his throat.

“D’you want me to go?”

“Nah, no,” Gavin shrugged. Geoff sat down beside him, taking time to caress Michael’s cold cheek with the backs of his fingers. Gavin leaned against the elder’s shoulder, breathing in the comforting scent of wood and cologne. Geoff wrapped an arm around him, silently comforting him. If he could read Gavin’s thoughts, he assumed he’d hear all about how much he needed Michael. After a few minutes of silence, he got up, ruffled Gavin’s hair and went back inside. He made himself a cup of coffee and stared out at the fog.

The day that Michael appeared at their front doorstep, Geoff swore that Gavin was going to have an aneurism. He’d leaped up with no grace whatsoever (nearly clocking Jack on the chin somehow) and flung open the door. He almost flailed himself at Michael, who stood completely still and attached himself. Michael’s eyes found Ryan’s and although he didn’t move, Ryan knew that he appreciated the existence of Gavin.

Michael moved effortlessly through the doorway; Gavin weighed less than a feather to him. Michael finally hoisted Gavin into his arms and hugged him tightly. He clutched Michael’s shirt in his fists, not letting go. They stayed like that until Jack and Ryan physically separated them. Geoff greeted Michael with a tender hug and a kiss on the cheek, the other gents doing the same.

Gavin and Michael spent all of their time together. The gents left them to do what they wanted; it was a relief to get Gavin off their chests. They slept for five hours at a time, not a worry in the world.

“Ryan,” Jack mumbled sleepily. He threw an arm over the man in question. “You’re ‘mazing.”

Ryan almost giggled. “What makes you say that?”

But Jack was already asleep.

At the same time as this event, Michael and Gavin shared a kiss. It was quiet and affectionate, and seemed to reinforce the fact that they were real.

When there were five people gathered around the table, it still didn’t feel right. When there were five people on the same bed, they crowded it, but it felt like there was someone missing. They brought Ray's puppet form inside, and sat him on the couch. When he came alive, he’d have somewhere nice to awake to. Jack was outside with Ryan, pottering around in the garden. Gavin was clambering around like a pure idiot, while Michael watched on with mock irritation. But you could tell that he loved him by the way he gazed at him with affection. Geoff was in the workshop once again, mulling over the situation.

But everyone fell silent when the back door opened, and a rather dishevelled looking Ray stepped out. He cleared his throat dramatically. Ryan grinned and raced over with the excitement of a child at Christmas. Ray beamed back, returning the hug with a strength that surprised Ryan. When Ryan released Ray, Michael was standing in front of him. Ray caught his lips in a kiss, and Gavin wasn’t jealous anymore when Ray gave him a kiss too.

Everything felt right now. It was Ray, Michael and Gavin who took up residence in the spare bedroom. Nobody ever said anything when they woke up piled on top of one another, when there was clearly enough room for them all to spread out. It was Geoff, Jack and Ryan who slept in the main bedroom. When one of them woke in the night, the entanglement of their limbs was familiar and comforting.

Geoff always fell asleep with a smile on his face, because something he thought would never happen became very real. And there was never a moment when he regretted it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if this is to my best ability, but I enjoyed writing it. Thank-you everyone who wrote comments about a second chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for your support! It is much appreciated.   
> EDIT: Thank you all for 100 kudos! It's amazing to see how many people actually enjoy what I write. :)


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